An atomically thin membrane with microscopically small holes may prove to be the basis for future hydrogen fuel cells, water filtering and desalination membranes, according to a group of 15 theorists and experimentalists, including three theoretical researchers from Penn State.

On Saturday, April 11 2015 from 9am to 12pm the Penn State Agricultural and Environment Center will host a FREE community workshop on The Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater. This Guide will help you create your own stormwater management plan and select simple stormwater solutions to be implemented on your property.

Despite the recent surge of surface water caused by snow melt, parts of the state have below-average groundwater levels. The lack of groundwater recharge has caused the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue a drought watch for 27 counties across Pennsylvania. Low groundwater levels can cause well-fed water supplies, both private and public, to go dry.

You turn the faucet on and there's water; but where does it really come from? Pennsylvania has over a million water wells, which need to be drilled right and kept clean. Join the Pa. Geologic Survey's Gary Fleeger as he steps us through how a well is drilled and what to look for to keep your water source in good shape.

Streams within approximately 40 percent of the global land surface are at risk from the application of insecticides. These were the results from the first global map to be modeled on insecticide runoff to surface waters. Streams, especially those in the Mediterranean, the United States, Central America and Southeast Asia are at risk.

Many of the communities we live in strive to provide a clean environment to their citizens including clean water, green recreation areas and parks, agricultural fields and tree-lined commercial areas. Green infrastructure – a natural approach to managing rainfall with trees, rain gardens, wetlands and other natural areas can protect our water quality while also providing green space which attracts residents, visitors and commercial businesses.

Greenhouse and crop producers across Pennsylvania use, on average, over 27 million gallons per day for irrigation. Over 15,000 acres of irrigation occurs in micro-irrigation systems commonly found in greenhouses. Unfortunately, the quality of these water supplies is often overlooked as a potential source of plant growth issues.

Simply removing cattle may be all that is required to restore many degraded riverside areas in the American West, although this can vary and is dependent on local conditions, researchers have found after comparing repeat photographs to assess rehabilitation of Oregon wildlife refuge. The team analyzed photographs to gauge how the removal of grazing cattle more than two decades ago from Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in eastern Oregon has helped to rehabilitate the natural environment.

Rivers and streams could be a major source of antibiotic resistance in the environment. A new study found that greater numbers of resistant bacteria exist close to some waste water treatment works, and that these plants are likely to be responsible for at least half of the increase observed.

Penn State Extension and the Penn State Master Well Owner Network are excited to offer a special one hour webinar on March 10, 2015 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM in recognition of National Groundwater Awareness Week.

Penn State Extension Water Resources Educator, Jim Clark, based in McKean County, PA, assisted farmers and other pesticide applicators protect the groundwater that flows beneath their feet by offering an extension program about groundwater.

Arsenic is the biggest public-health problem for water in the United States -- yet we pay far less attention to it than we do to lesser problems. Private wells present continuing risks. Even low doses of arsenic may reduce intelligence in children. There are also well-documented risks of cancer, heart disease, and reduced lung function.